Best places in Saumur

Well, as I said before in my previous post France – Saumur , I just love France, along with it’s diverse countryside and countless Chateau’s.

So in this post I am going to be naming my favourite places to eat, things to do and best views in the gorgeous town of Saumur.

This historic town is situated between the Loire and Thouet Rivers, as well as being surrounded by some of France’s best wine vineyards.

I think I will start with a bit of history about this town; the Chateau de Saumur was built in the 10th century to protect the settlement from Norman Attacks. If you walk alongside the walls, which go down the hill from Rue des Moulins to the town centre, you can still see the arrow slits.

Saumur was also involved in the Second World War, and was therefore the site of the Battle of Saumur (1940). Once the war had finished, Saumur was awarded the Croix de Guerre (Cross of War) due to the display of French Patriotism and resistance during the war.

Saumur is also the home of Le Cadre Noir, an equestrian display team, the National Tank Museum and above all, the magnificent Chateau de Saumur.

For me, the best restaurants were:

L’escargot

Le Grand Bleu

La Bigouden

Saumur 1929

They all showed individuality as well as delicious and traditional French Cuisine.

I would honestly recommend walking or cycling along the River Loire, a great bike hire place is Velospot , they have great and friendly service, as well as speaking English.

Also Kayaking along the River, proved to be very enjoyable as well, we chose Pole Nautique which enabled us to choose where to start our journey and how long we would make it. Here are some options if where to start the kayak:

Villebernier

Montsoreau

Luynes

Chouze

St. Clement

Here are some activities that I would really reccomend to see or do:

Le Cadre Noir

The National Tank Museum

Chateau de Saumur

Mushroom Museum

Notre Dame des Ardillieres

St . Peter Church

Troglodyte Caves

If you want, you can always visit Chateaux close to Saumur, such as in:

Chenonceau

Chaumont

Chinon

Blois

Rivau

Amboise

For me, the best views were at the Rue des Moulins. It looks over the River Loire, with a terrific view of the opposite bank.

Have you been to Saumur before? If so, do you have any suggestions or other comments (or perhaps just wanting a little shoutout?). All you have to do is comment below!